Mazda MX-5 Miata

Overview

Strip away all the technological complications of a modern car—and the weight that comes with it—and add in a playfully tuned rear-wheel-drive chassis, a rev-happy engine, and a crisp-shifting manual transmission, and you have a recipe for driving enjoyment that's refreshingly pure. The Mazda MX-5 Miata offers precisely that and sets the stage for the rest of the Mazda lineup. Available as either the classic softtop convertible or the retractable-targa-top RF model, the Miata holds a special place in the hearts of driving enthusiasts like us for its simple, back-to-basics ethos. It's not a practical buy—don't expect vast cargo space in the Miata's small trunk—but we can't keep ourselves from daydreaming about riding off into the sunset in this 10Best-award-winning gem.

What's New for 2019?

In addition to a few new standard features—a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and a backup camera—the Miata comes with a revised four-cylinder engine that now makes 181 horsepower (up from 155) and a finessed six-speed manual transmission. Softtop models can now be ordered with a brown-colored top, a new metallic-black wheel design is offered on Sport and Club models, and the Grand Touring model now comes with traffic-sign recognition and low-speed automated emergency braking.

Mazda MX-5 Miata Pricing and Which One to Buy

Sport: $26,625

Club: $30,485

Grand Touring: $31,675

Choosing between hardtop and softtop models is not a decision we'd be able to make easily, since both have their benefits and drawbacks. We'd suggest the Club trim, since it features a host of performance upgrades versus the base model that give the Miata even more capability, such as a sport suspension, a limited-slip differential, and 17-inch wheels. We prefer—and highly recommend—the crisp-shifting six-speed manual transmission; a thoroughly competent six-speed automatic is optional.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The Miata's engine revs eagerly and is powerful enough to deliver stirring acceleration. Exploring the engine's high-revving personality is encouraged by the direct, easy-to-shift manual transmission. Even the optional automatic impresses, with quick shifts and sporty programming. The softtop model ran from zero to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds in our testing; the slightly heavier hardtop RF model needed 5.8 seconds.

Miatas ride firmly and can get bouncy when driving over a quick succession of bumps. The mid-level Club's firmer shocks and springs return the stiffest ride of the lineup, although no Miata rides poorly. The handling is eager, and the Miata changes direction promptly. We especially enjoy the light, tactile steering; it responds immediately and keeps the driver informed of what the front tires are doing. This is a fun car, plain and simple.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Chalk up another "W" in the Miata's column for its light weight. With such a small amount of car to haul around, the 2.0-liter engine squeaks out relatively high EPA fuel-economy numbers and outperforms them in the real world. On our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test loop, a softtop Grand Touring model delivered 36 mpg and a hardtop RF Club managed 37 mpg, both equipped with Mazda's excellent six-speed-manual transmission.

Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo

You don't sit in a Miata so much as wear it. The cabin is a cozy fit for two adults and includes only the bare essentials. While some might categorize the interior as spare, glass-half-full types (us) appreciate the businesslike prioritization of the steering wheel, pedals, and shifter and the refreshingly basic accommodations.

The Miata boasts a touchscreen infotainment system that is made better by an easy-to-reach control knob and hard buttons on the center console. Every MX-5 Miata comes standard with Bluetooth connectivity (for both phone and streaming audio functions), as well as a CD player. Navigation is standard on the Grand Touring and a dealer-installed accessory on Club models—added via a Mazda SD card. Also included is HD radio compatibility, but for another year Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are still notably missing from its offerings.

With few storage cubbies, not to mention a tiny trunk, the Miata barely acknowledges the need to bring along your personal effects. Then again, its Lilliputian dimensions make few promises in the way of practicality. If you pack light, the trunk can accommodate a weekend's worth of stuff for two. Meanwhile, the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota 86 twins absolutely crush the Miata when it comes to cargo space; their folding rear seats allow owners to haul up to four full-size wheels and tires (for, say, a track day) between the trunk and the cabin.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Given that neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have tested the Miata, its crashworthiness is unknown. The Miata's meager driver-assistance features are all optional and include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, low-speed automated emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, and lane-departure warning. Key safety features include:

Available low-speed automated emergency braking

Available blind-spot monitoring

Available lane-departure warning

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

In this class, the warranty coverage is average, although it is worth noting that the Miata's twin, the Fiat 124 Spider, boasts a longer limited warranty and an additional year of roadside assistance.

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Finally Has the Engine It Deserves

A more characterful four-cylinder makes one of our favorites even better.

Recent News

We have cared a lot about the Mazda MX-5 Miata for nearly three decades. So, too, have the thousands of loyal Miata owners who race their cars, modify their cars, and take them to Miata Club meets. But do you know who cares about the Miata even more? Mazda. The little roadster truly is the company’s pride and joy, a North Star doubling as its philosophical center.

Thus, it isn’t surprising that Mazda is both steadfast about keeping the Miata true to its original missive and always looking for ways to make it better. The precedent of continuous improvement could be seen in the first three generations of MX-5, each of which received tweaks throughout its life cycle. It’s now time for the current, fourth-generation Miata (ND to the cognoscenti) to get better; for 2019, that means a revised 2.0-liter inline-four Skyactiv engine.

More Oomph for 2019

Previously, the ND Miata was powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four that was little more than a Mazda 3 engine turned longitudinally and stuffed into the MX-5’s small engine bay. Vehicle dynamics engineer Dave Coleman admits that the car was originally designed around the less powerful 1.5-liter four-cylinder that’s available in other markets and that by the time the decision was made to install a bigger engine in the Miata bound for the United States, it was too late to truly fine-tune the 2.0-liter for a sports-car application. Of course, the engine itself was hardly a dud—responsive and eager, it made the current car quicker than any Miata before it in our testing despite its meager 155 horsepower.

Coleman describes the engine’s changes for 2019 as “standard hot-rodding procedure.” The throttle body, intake valves, exhaust valves, and their corresponding ports are all larger, while the pistons and connecting rods are lighter, the crankshaft is stiffer, and the fuel-injection system runs at a higher pressure. As a result, the engine revs higher (redlining at 7500 rpm versus 6800 rpm) and puts out 26 more horsepower and 3 more lb-ft of torque for new totals of 181 horses and 151 lb-ft.

Acceleration Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

At the track, the objective performance advances are barely noticeable. Compared with our 2016 long-term MX-5, which was the quickest ND Miata we had tested, the more powerful 2019 model is just 0.1 second quicker to 60 mph and through the quarter-mile, hitting those metrics in 5.7 and 14.5 seconds, the latter at 95 mph. (This 2019 MX-5 roadster in Club trim was similarly optioned to our 2016-model-year long-term test car.) Other examples of the ND softtop, though, needed 6.1–6.2 seconds to reach 60 mph and completed the quarter-mile in 14.8 seconds at 93 mph. The 5-to-60-mph rolling-start time also dropped by 0.1 second, so there is no doubt the new engine is more powerful.

Its improved character, though, is the real upside here. The engine revs more freely, the exhaust barks with more authority, and a jab at the throttle nudges you back into the seat a bit harder. Throttle response is prompt, and the power curve is more linear than before—peak power is reached 1000 revs higher, at 7000 rpm, and yet torque peaks 600 rpm lower, at 4000 rpm. More important, when the power starts to taper off in the 155-hp 2.0-liter at about 6000 rpm, the new 181-hp example keeps climbing for another 1000 revs. This allows for just a single shift to reach 60 mph. Spinning the tach all the way to the elevated redline is thrilling in a way that it wasn’t in the old 2.0-liter, elevating this engine to the same emotional plane as the rest of the car.

The already delightful six-speed manual transmission also has been revised for smoother operation, and it does seem to snick through the H-pattern with a bit more finesse than before. Its gearing has not changed, however. (The optional six-speed automatic receives a new final drive, but we did not drive a car so equipped.) Improved EPA fuel-economy numbers are another bonus; we averaged 30 mpg over 500 miles of mixed driving.

The Handling Is as Special as Ever

Of course, the true joy of the Miata has always come from its balanced, poised, and playful chassis. Mazda knows this and has left the suspension tune alone for 2019; the car had already received some tweaks for 2017, when the retractable hardtop RF model debuted, and for 2018, when the RF’s subtle retuning was applied to the softtop. (The two still differ in terms of spring rates and a few other variables due to the hardtop’s added mass.) No surprise that the Miata is the same darling in a canyon road as it ever was, with just enough compliance in the suspension to engage the driver and just enough grip to allow for predictable, progressive behavior at its approachable limits.

Mazda even cares enough about the Miata to address small details. The 2019 car now has a telescoping steering wheel, which was engineered to give taller drivers an easier reach to the wheel while adding a minimum of weight. Despite its more complex mechanism, the new function adds only about half a pound to the waifish Miata’s curb weight. A backup camera is also newly standard in accordance with federal regulations. These new features, along with some extra weight in the engine, add up to a claimed weight gain of just seven pounds overall. We measured the 2019 car at 2345 pounds—21 pounds heavier than our long-term Club—with much of that disparity attributable to the extra weight of the Recaro seats that are newly available as part of the pricey Brembo/BBS package that can drive the softtop’s price to a rather dear $35,000-plus (exact pricing is forthcoming), while the 2019 RF can approach $40,000. Expect a bare-bones 2019 Miata softtop to start around $26,500.

From a big-picture perspective, though, the Miata remains a unique proposition: a lightweight, simple sports car that succeeds in placing driving pleasure above all other considerations. It has changed so little over the years that we almost wonder if Mazda is being too faithful to the MX-5 ideal for its own good. And yet, that such a small automaker has taken such painstaking care to maintain the ethos of a car that today presents such a difficult business case is telling. The Miata is hardly for everyone, but everyone should be able to appreciate that it not only still exists but that it keeps getting better.